Katy Perry, renowned pop star and cultural icon, was among the six women who made history on Monday, April 14, as part of Blue Origin’s first all-female flight crew. The crewed expedition, designated NS-31, lifted off from West Texas. It lasted just over 11 minutes and represented an incredible achievement in the history of space travel.
Perry’s role in the flight was met with a variety of responses, as critics cast doubt on whether her 11-minute trip was an actual space flight. Many observers thought her decision was reckless. They thought the act of kissing the ground on her return home would make it seem like the seriousness of space exploration was a joke. This set off a firestorm of memes, mockery, and critique on platforms like Twitter and TikTok. Everyone voiced their conflicted feelings on the topic during productive and animated conversations.
Perry flew on this legacy flight with other incredible women leaders. Prominent women leaders including Gayle King, Lauren Sánchez, Amanda Nguyen, Aisha Bowe, and Kerianne Flynn stood with her. The mission was intended to honor and recognize women’s achievements in space exploration and travel. Unfortunately for Perry, most were quick to dismiss him as a grandstanding jerk.
Wendy’s, the ubiquitous fast-food chain, jumped on the opportunity to land a cute dig at Perry. She tweeted, “How do we send her back? However, this reasonable comment drew a firestorm of criticism from some quarters. One person familiar with the negotiations said, “Wendy’s didn’t make a joke — they made a step. But their latest attack posts on X directed at Katy Perry were misogynistic as hell, but just straight up tacky.”
Meanwhile, when billion dollar brands like Wendy’s do it, critics are the first to call them out and say that they are being downright irresponsible. As one media commentator noted, “This wasn’t playroom teasing. This is a billion-dollar brand humiliating a woman on its public platform.”
To counter the public outrage over the giveaway, lifestyle guru Martha Stewart responded on social media. She posted this charming video of herself enjoying a glimpse of microgravity. She accompanied the post with a quote from Perry’s hit song “Firework,” stating, “In case you spaced out in 2007, Martha has always been ahead of her time.” This appeared to function as an amusing oblique joke at Perry’s expense.
Though Wendy took jabs from all sides for this move, Wendy’s in the months after tried to defend and explain their position on the issue. As any follower knows, they’re known for adding a special sauce to their socials. Wendy’s has a lot of respect for Katy Perry and her intergalactic excellence.